Studying abroad in England for 6 years
I had been interested in architecture for a long time, and when I search around for my future course, I read a book about architecture by an English philosopher. I was really interested and felt “If I go to England, I’ll be able to study deeply about architecture.” So, I decided to study in England. I enrolled in high school in England for the last 2 years to make more chances to enter the university that I wanted. After graduating high school, I entered the University of Bath and majored in architecture there.
Not only I studied architecture at the university, but I also gained experience through 3 internships in London and Myanmar. During my internships, I worked as an architectural assistant on projects such as new homes, apartment complexes, home renovations, shopping malls, and more. So, I got involved in both small and big projects.
Meeting Japanese architecture’s Charms
As I was gathering precedents for my first-year project in the university which is about houses, I discovered books about Japanese architecture. Reading the books, I met a Japanese architect “Sou Fujimoto”. His works have a really different style compared to other architects, and it was eye-opening for me. I like how he challenges traditional styles a lot because we are living in an ever-changing situation, and I think that architecture should also adapt to the changes of the times. And I strongly felt that he is doing such practices literally, so I was very impressed with his works and methods. Especially, I like the house called “House N”, which creates a living space where the boundaries between the outdoors and indoors have been removed. Also, I attended a talk by a Japanese architect “Kengo Kuma” which is organized by LSE Cities, which is a research center at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Since meeting their works, I became really interested in Japanese architecture at that time.
In addition, I’ve loved the Japanese author “Haruki Murakami” since I was a high school student and have dreamed of reading the original book. At first, I was quite scared of studying Japanese because I was afraid it must be a tough journey. Then during the Covid-19 pandemic, I had lots of time to spend learning the language. So, I tried to start learning Japanese with the hope of working in Japan eventually. I took Japanese classes in the morning and did homework in the afternoon. Thus, I devoted all my time to learning Japanese and I could get JLPT N2 in 8 months. I was always really interested in it, so I could improve fast. Now, I’m trying to understand Haruki Murakami’s original book in Japanese.
First career as a freelance
But after I graduated from university, I went back to Myanmar and worked as a freelance architect there. In that job, I worked with other engineers to design houses. The job was enjoyable, but I decided to change jobs because I felt there were still so many things I needed to learn. Especially, I thought if I had more senior members in the workplace, I would be able to learn so much from them to improve my skills much more. So, I chose to work in Japan as my next career step.
Changing jobs through FAST OFFER International
My teacher in the Japanese language class introduced FAST OFFER International to me, and I registered for it. There were a lot of steps to do, but the staff guided me correctly and kindly. Also, the interviews were conducted in Japanese, so the staff helped me to prepare the answer to the expected questions. I typed them all down and practiced a lot. So, I didn’t have any troubles in the process.
Thanks to the preparations, I could answer all the questions without mistakes in the actual interviews. The interviewers were all nice as well. When I got an acceptance, I was really happy because it was so hard to find new jobs because of Covid-19. And I felt “Finally I can relax a bit and concentrate on studying Japanese!”
Goals and message
I will have to take the license called “Building Construction Management Technology Certification Level 2” after I start working at the company. The exam will be conducted in Japanese so it must be very tough both in technological and linguistic aspects. But I would like to pass it in 2~3 years and make my career advance faster. Also, through working with many people who have different backgrounds and skill sets, I would like to widen my understanding.
I like challenging myself in new environments because I can meet new communities, languages, and people. So, working in Japan must be a great experience for me.
I would like to tell some tips to learn the language for those who struggle to learn Japanese.
Firstly, having clear goals would make it easier for you to learn the language. As for me, my biggest goal that reading books written by Haruki Murakami in the original version. Thanks to this goal, I could continue learning Japanese with joy. If you have any small goals, you can devote your passion to them.
Secondly, I recommend speaking the language daily. I prepared my answer thoroughly for the interview and read aloud them daily. Making speaking habits will make us get used to the language and speak what we want to say fluently. I’m rooting for you! Thank you.
